Man fatally shot in suspected home invasion identified

Baltimore County police have identified an intruder shot to death by a homeowner during a burglary early Sunday in Perry Hall.

He was Marvin Cook Jr., 29, whose address was unknown. Police said he broke into a house in the 4200 block of Chapel Road shortly before 6 a.m. Sunday and was shot by William Bozman Sr., 68, who was awakened when the suspect entered his bedroom.

Cook was convicted of attempted murder in 2002 and was arrested on several other occasions for drug offenses, according to Cpl. Mike Hill, a spokesman for the Baltimore County Police Department. On Cook's body, police found a driver's license with a Baltimore address. When officers went to that address, Hill said, they met Cook's mother, who told them she hadn't seen her son in years.

Bozman told police he awoke to find an intruder pointing a handgun at him and demanding money. Bozman retrieved a handgun he had nearby, pointed it at the suspect and ordered him to drop his gun, Hill said.

When the intruder began walking around the bed toward the victim, Bozman fired several shots. The man landed on top of Bozman, who was able to free himself and call police, Hill said.

When police arrived, they found Cook suffering from gunshot wounds to the chest. He was taken by ambulance to Franklin Square Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy was performed on Sunday and showed that Cook died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.

"The autopsy, the crime-scene investigation and Bozman's statements all seem to corroborate each other," Hill said. Nevertheless, he added, once the investigation is complete, the results will be sent to the state's attorney's office to determine whether any charges should be pressed against Bozman -- a routine review in such homicides.

"It could be ruled justified," Hill said. He added that there was no evidence that Cook and Bozman knew each other, which would rule out retribution as a motive for the killing.

The property at which the shooting occurred has a two-story home, with a barn and garage, and is also the address for a business called B&B Towing, which Bozman owns.